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BATH BOARDS
Bath boards are used by someone who is unable to bend down to sit in a bath. A person may find this difficult if his/her has arthritis, if elderly, or has suffered a stroke,
orthopaedic surgery or an injury.
These are made from slatted wood or plastic and fit across the top of the bath usually level with the top of the bath or slightly lower. Bathboards also have:
1) drain holes to prevent water accumulation,
2) an adjustable bracket on the undersurface of the bath board allows it to fit baths of different widths,
3) optional extras that may be available
include: a padded seat for added comfort, a backrest for back support or a grab rail on one side to help with standing up and sitting down.
Note:To ensure safety make sure the clamps are tight before
using the bath board.
GRAB RAILS
Grab rails are commonly used in the toilet, bathroom and sometimes in the bedroom. They are useful for someone who is weak and finds it difficult to stand up from
the sitting position. Gripping the rail helps the person to pull up into the standing position. Grab rails also provide stability when held and are therefore useful for a person with inadequate balance eg.
following a stroke. Other people to benefit include the elderly or patients with neuromuscular conditions eg. multiple sclerosis or Parkinson's disease.
Grab rails are made of enamelled steel, stainless
steel, brass, epoxy coated steel, aluminium, and PVC.
They come in standard sizes or can be made to order to different configurations. Made to order rails are not generally available from pharmacies.
They come in varying lengths for example 12", 14", 16", 18", 24" and 32".
Tubing thickness is between 25 mm and 40 mm.
The wall clearance being the distance from the inside edge of the rail to the wall is
between 45 mm and 85 mm.
Some grab rails are knurled ie. ridged for more secure gripping.
At each end of the grab rail is a flange ie. a rounded end. Within the flange are 3 screw holes so that the
grab rail can be attached to the wall. Some flanges have a cover so the screw ends can be concealed and prevent knocks to the skin on sharp edges.
Grab rails can be secured directly onto brick or cement
walls or onto the wooden studs in timber walls. A piece of timber may need to be attached to the wall so that the grab rail can be secured if the wooden studs are not in the correct places.
Grab rails can
be mounted vertically, horizontally or on an angle.
Grab rail attachments should be periodically checked to ensure they are secure.
Lift-up rails are available from some suppliers and can be mounted
near the toilet.
BATH RAILS
Bath rails provide extra support helping the person to sit down into and stand up from a bath. These help someone who is weak or who has inadequate balance.
The rails
clamp to the bath edge and come in different styles which may be eg. high - low, with two hand grip heights. Bath rails are made of stainless steel, enamelled steel or epoxy coated steel.
For safety, make sure the clamp/clamps are tight. |
